Egg-case-filler machine



June 26, 1928. 1,675,279 H. SEGUR ET AL EGG CASE FILLER MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /9 Y Y Y Y i; Y T T" T T T /6 T 2/ J2 B I135 f'zue'ri'r'sx 1/ [655a fi gyurf 5, Y awe e f June 26, 1928. 1,675,279

H. SEGUR ET AL EGG CASE FILLER MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1924 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 f z/enfiik' 05a June 26, 1928. 1,675,279

H. SEGUR ET AL EGG CASE FILLER MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z 5' I asiz f ggzr 16 f/arugy 5e 10? Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

HARVEY SEGUR, OF CHICAGO, AND ASA B. SEGUR, 01? OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T TITE-PACK FILLER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EGG-CASE-FILLER MACHINE.

Application filed February 4, 1924.

Our invention relates to egg case filler machines, an object being to provide a, new and improved tiller machine to carry out an improved method of making fillers.

5 One of the features of our invention resides in a machine for making an improved tiller construction in which the strips making up the filler are more positively locked together when the filler is open ready for use. and also more positively locked When the filler is collapsed or folded up, so as to prevent fanning and separation thereof.

A feature of our invention is an improved machine for making fillers, and is directed more particularly to the provision of mechaism which separates and displaces the strips during assembly so as to permit the use of a positive lock construction. Other features are more particularly pointed out in the ensuing part of the specification and appended claims.

We also show herein an improved filler :ind method of making the same, in order to give a better understanding of our invention. but these other two improvements are the subject of a copending application of Seriai Number MMMUI filed February 4, 192 1.

For a better understanding of our invenion reference is to be had to the accompany- 3e in drawings. in which l ig. l is a perspective view of the preferred form of egg case tiller of our invention l ig. 2 is a detail view of the transverse strip;

Fig. I) is a detail view of the intermediate longitudinal strips, the outside longitudinal strips (littering from this in being flanged indicated in Fig. l;

Figs. t. 5 and 0 show various steps during the assembling operations of the filler;

Fig. T shows a portion of a tiller in the egg crate detailing more particularly the new shock absorbing construction;

Fig. b is an end view of Fig. 7, showing a portion of the longitudinal strip and the end of one of the transverse strips;

l i.-ij 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but show ing how the improved construction takes up the shock from the sudden stoppage;

lfig. It) shows a modified form of flanged longitud nal strip cooperative with the modified form of assembly strip of Fig. 11 to pro ide a more positive double hook locking Serial No. 690.404.

arrangement for the outside or flanged strips;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view through a portion of the filler making machine;

Fig. 13 is a view of a portion of Fig. 10, showing an operation of the flipper arm during the assembling of the fillerp Fig. 14 shows the operation of the flipper for assisting in the ejection of the assembled filler; and

Fig. 15 is a left face view of Fig. 10 With the punch and knife removed and portions broken away to more clearly illustrate the assembling mechanism.

Referring now more in detail first to the egg case tiller. as shown in Figs. 1 to 9, and the method of making the same, we provide longitudinal and transverse strips A and l), as shown in Figs. 3 and 2, which strips are assembled to provide the usual cellular egg case tiller. in the most desirable form of tiller, as shown in Fig. 1. We provide outer flanged strips A and A which are cut for assembling the same as strips A. but have the added feature of the flange formed and assembled to cooperate with the transverse strips 1) to act as a shock absorber to reduce the breakage of the Now the ditliculty heretofore has been in assembling the strips when provided with such a positive locking construction.

To overcome this we displace or shift lat erally portions of the strips during assembling so to clear the locking hooks and permit pressing the parts together.

In the preferred form of locking construction used we provide first of all slotted portions in the two strips, which allow displacenent of the strips and permit complete pressing together and locking thereof. In the one set of strips, as for example, longitudinal strips A, we provide aligned slots Iii-16, preferably simply wide enough to clear the thickness 01 the other strips, and aiigned component slots 11-18 in the other strips. as the transverse or assembly strips B. The outer ends of the slots. as 15 and 17, have angular openings at 19 and 2t). respectively. so as to provide a more ready registration and assembling of the strips as they are pressed toward each other. as indicated in Fig. i. In order to lock the strips together a hook or nose portion 21 is provided. which is adapted to enter the slot 16 and hook under the hook-stop or edge 22 when the strips are pressed together, as shown in Fig. (3.

It will be apparent that: if it were attempted to simply push the two strips A and B together while retained in their flat position. as indicated in Fig. 4. the paper would simply crumple up or the hook 2i flatten or bend out of shape so that it would not enter slot 16 and lock. This might be avoided by providing plenty of clearance around all the hooks. as indicated at 18 ot the central slot so that the wall section 23 between slots 15 and 16 would bend around the hook 21. But this would not provide a most etfective lock or prevent fanning and separation of the strips.

Heretofore in the assembling of partitions or strips by automatic machine for the purpose of constructing tillers. the assembling to effect interlocking of the parts has depended upon the ability of one set of partitions to bend around a hook or lock portion of the other partitions through a sufficient cutaway clearance to allow them to lock when pressed together. However. in such prior constructions the interengaging slots and hook portions of the strips or partitions have been such that sutlicient clearance had to be allowed to permit assembling of the parts without destroying the interengaging hook portions. Also the paper used varies with a variation in humidity. and varies in quality. Furthermore, the shape of the lock varied according to condition of the dies. The assembling of the fillers also differed with a difference in atmospheric conditions as by destroying the locking hooks or noses or interfering with the proper bending of the paper during the assembling. To overcome this difficulty to some extent, the slot and hook constructions heretofore used have been such and provided with such clearance that the partitions would not properly lock with the cell expanded for use, or would permit fanning and disengagement of the strips when collapsed.

To overcome these difficulties we have first of all provided slot constructions, preferably oppositely disposed and of such character that the slots on each strip grip the. walls of the opposite strip in a vise-like manner when the. filler is collapsed. This prevents the filler from being fanned out. that is the partitions pulled so as to give a diamond like appearance to the collapsed tiller. and therefore practically prevents the tiller from being pulled apart during the fanning. This might otherwise occur during the handling or opening of the tiller when it is to be placed in the egg case.

As noted from assembly strip B in Fig. 2. the center slot 18' has the clearance around the hook 21 but the other slots are preferably without the clearance so that the strips when assembled are sufficiently held by the straightslots and oppositely disposed hooks to prevent fanning and separation thereof.

As previously stated, if it were attempted to push the two sets of partitions together while held flat or straight, as shown in Fig. 4, the paper would crumple or the hook 21 flatten out or bend over, interfering with as sembling of the strips and locking thereof.

In order to properly assemble the strips with such a positive locking and holding slot construction, this may be done by warping or displacing a portion of one strip (B) relative to the other so that the wall adjacent the locking hook of one strip (B) is moved to one side to permit the other strip (A) to be swung on a pivot from its upper end by the book as it is descending and force its way over the hook into locking engagement by the rotary or pivotal movement of the suspended strip A. The direction of this pivotal movement is indicated by the arrows at bottom of strips A in Figs. 4 and 5.

One method of doing this is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6. In Fig. 4 the strips are shown with the assembly strip B just about to enter the longitudinal strip A. The downward movement of strip B continues but before the hook 21 engages the bottom of slot 15 of longitudinal strip A, a portion of the assembly strip B is moved to one side to open the slot 18 and clear the hook. This is preferably done shortly after the two strips are in mesh. and in practice in connection with the standard fillers the movement begins when the strips are overlapping approximately three-eighths of an inch. The downward movement of B is of course continuing and the displaced portion of the strip is moved to open the slot and sufficiently clear hook 21 to permit longitudinal strip A to be pushed laterally by the down coming hook 21 until the hook is beneath the hook-stop The strip B then is free to spring back or be forced back into place and the parts are locked as indicated in Fig. 6. In the assembly operation we preferably block the sides of the longitudinal strips at the top so as to suspend them, you might say, and permit a rotation or swinging movement with the pivot point at the top where blocked. and the bottom free to swing sufficiently to permit the hook to freely pass the intermediate wall portion 23. By this arrangement We find the added advantage of the slots 15 in the longitudinal strips A also being separated. due to the strip A being held by blocks 38 at its sides along the top edge to the rear of the slot 15. but free on the other side of the slot 15. thereby making the as sembly operation easier. In blocking the longitudinal strip so as to permit opening of its slot. this blocking is preferably done only to the rear of the assembly strip as indicated by the elements 38 in Fig. 4. and which will be more particularly pointed out in connection with the machine.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the hooks 21 in the slots 18 are oppositely disposed, thus assisting in preventing separation of the strips. \Vith the hooks oppositely disposedwe do not find it necessary to warp or move laterally all of the sections intermediate the slots, but only some of them. and that by moving the sections marked X an assembly may be readily accomplished. That is, counting from the left in Fig. 2, the first, third, sixth and eighth sections.

There is another feature previously referred to, and that is the shock absorbing construction for reducing breakage.

Heretofore fillers have been constructed with flanged strips as A and A but the flanges were so constructed and held as to interfere with a most effective shock absorbing operation. In the present construction, more clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9. the transverse strip B is cut away at 24 to clear the flange A which flange is formed so to bend beneath the flat or separator 25, as shown in Fig. 7. With the tiller in the crate and loaded, as shown in Fig. 7, the crate is positoned for shipping. as in the freight car. with the flange of A in the direction of movement. Should there be a sudden stop page naturally the tendency is to carry the loaded fillers toward the end wall of the crate. The result is that the flange of A gradually takes up the shock of stopping. bending from point 26 until the corner of the flange abuts the stop 27. as shown in Fig. 9. This flange prevents the tips of the assembly strips B from coming into sudden contact with the walls of the box and crushing them.

In Figs. 10 and 11 we have shown a moditied form of lock for use in preferably locking the outer or flanged strips A only. In using this lock, an L-shaped lock-stop is used instead of a T, and a. second hook as at 21 to engage a cooperating slot shown in B of Fig. 11. By the use of this double hook lock, it is more difficult to separate the outer and more exposed flanged strip A. from the strips B.

In carrying out the improved method in the manufacture and assembling of the im proved filler, we preferably employ a machine as shown in a copending application for cell case machines, Serial Number 584,087, modified so as to make the proper perforations in the strips and assemble them.

In Figs. 11 to we have shown the modified portions of this machine. Generally stated the machine is arranged to cut and assemble strips from continuous rolls of strawboard, using one roll which is slitted and flanged to provide the longitudinal strips A. and a Second roll to provide the transverse or assembly strips B. In this machine the sheet is fed between slitting rollers to form longitudinal strips A which are fed forwardly through intermittently operated feed rollers 27 passing between the blades of the shears 28 which are operated to sever the tillers as they are con'ipletcd. The slots l5lti are cut in the strips by suitable punch mechanism and these strips as they are fed along are stopped momentar ily as each set of slots 15 it reaches a position beneath the assembly strip B. so as to permit the assembly strip to be forced down over strips A. The strips B have their slots pierced by the punch 29 the sheet moves downwardly. the transverse strips bcing severed by the cooperating knife blades 30-31 constructed from double plates so as to cut a clearance 24 at each end of the transverse strips to receive the flange. The stationary blade 31 extends across the machine and is notched at points 31 at each strip A, A, A so as to set beneath the tops of strips A whereby the assembly strip is posi tively severed at a point not above the tops of the strips A. An auxiliary knife 31 has its cutting edge set above the cutting edge of 31 to cooperate with the auxiliary blade 30 of the swinging knife to clear the corners it of strips 1 as stated.

As picviously stated. we have provided a positive interlocking construction and in order to assemble the strips preferably transversely move or warp portions of the strips out of the plane of the sheet, and to this end have provided mechanism including a. flipper device adapted to engage portions of the transverse or assembly strip as it is descending over the longitncinal strips. This flipper C comprises a pivotally mount; ed shaft 32 having fingers 3?). 34'. 35 and 36 extending upwardly between or alongside the longitudinal strips A. Normally, when the assembly strip starts to descend, these tingt-rs are back in the position iinlicated in Fig. 13. As the transverse strip moves downwardly the dipper arms of C are moved forwardly by means of the link mechanism h? connected to the end of the flipp r shaft 3; until these fingers engage and move the portions X forwardly. as indicated in Figs. 5 and it There portion X are moved to sutliciently clear the hooks 21 to permit the longitudinal sections A to be swung clear of the hook 21 in that the hook can engage under the locking slot 32. Th s lat-- eral movement of stripe ,"k i a. pivotal one. swinging from the point of s11: ir-iiin at the top and to this end blocl 38 are placed alongside each longitudinal strip as indicated at only the center strip A of Fig. 15 and by the dotted lines in F g. l2. These blocks 38 stop back of the blades of the shears but in order to support the tops of the strips at a point closer to the line or" assembly, we provide fingers as 39 which 130 lie reach over the shears 28 as indicated in Fi 12. These fingers are not needed at every point but only as indicated in Fig. 13 by the dotted lines of 89. As the two sets of strips are being forced together, the slots in the assembly set are separated by the flipper tingers as stated and also this causes the slots in the other set to separate already described, permitting an easier assembly of the strips.

In actual practice, and in connection with the regular commercial tillers, we secure a suitable operation by having the flipper fingers start forward with the transverse strip down a quarter of an inch, stop when the strip is down thrcc-cighths of an inch, staying there until the strip is down one and three-eighths of an inch. then starting back and crossing the assembly line as the strip is down one and one-half of an inch. The strips are from two and one-fourth to two and five-sixteenths inches wide. The transverse or assembly strip. of course, continues its movement downwardly until fully assembled and after the hooks 21 snap into the locking slot the strain on the longitudinal strips is released, thereby permitting the portions X of the transverse strip to move back into their normal plane, they having been held over by the longitudinal strips after having been once moved out of alignment by the flipper lingers. During the downward travel of the assembly strip 15, the portions intermediate the moved portions X sometimes curl toward the front or back, but in order to keep them in vertical position we provide guides in the form of thin strips 40 and 41 secured to the front, and back of the flipper shaft bet ween which the ends enter as the strip moves downwardly to full as embly.

The asst-,inbling having been completed, the cutter knives Z3()--3t cut off the trans- \erse strip and the tiller is then moved forward the distance of one cell for the next assembling operation.

During this longitudinal feeding movement after the assembling, due to clogging of the parts or other reasons, the cell sometimes sticks and a free feeding by the rollers 27 is not efl'ccted. To assist this feeding and prevent sticking we cause a second operation of the flipper lingers, as indicated in Fig. 14. That during the longitudinal feeding of the filler and before the feed of one section is completed. another operation of thc flipper fingers is effected. as indicated in Fig. 1t. causing them to strike the trans vcrse strip and drive it forward, should it be stuck or its feeding movement interfered with. The fingers. of course, return to the normal position indicated in Fig. 13 before the next assembling operation.

'hat we claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a cellular filler machine arranged to assemble sets of strips transversely slotted with interlocking hooks and hook-stops and in which the strips of one set are placed transversely over the other and pressed downwardly into locking engagement, devices l'or laterally displacing portions of the strips adjacent the hooks out of the normal plane thereof to clear the hooks to permit the component strips to swing to clear the hooks and then return to lock over them, and means for rendering said devices effective re sponsive to each strip assembling operation.

In a cellular tiller machine arranged to assemble sets of strips having normally closel v embracing slots with interlocking hooks in the slots aml hook-stops respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other set to form cells and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips reciprocatable arms acting upon portions between the slots to move such portions laterally clear of the hooks during assenlblingand permit restoration of said portions to normal, means for advancing the tiller after such assembly, and means for again operating said arms to strike the asscniblcd strip to assist advance thereof if said advancing means fails to move the strip.

3. In a celhilar filler machine arranged to assemble sets of strips having normally closely embracing slots with interlta-king hook; in the slots and hook-stops respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other set to form cells and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips, mechanism for separating said strips at the plots for temporarily widening them thereat during assembling to permit more ready assembly of the interlocking elements, and means for operating said mechanism during each assembling operation.

4. In a cellular tiller machine arranged to as-1emble sets of strips having normally closely embracing slots with interlocking hooks in the slots and hook-stops respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other :et to form cell and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips, a transverse knife for severing the transverse strip after assembly. means for holding said latter set against lateral displacement back of the knife but leaving the portion in front of the knife free for lateral displacement during assembling. and mechanism for temporarily displacing portions of the transverse strip adjacent the hook to clear the same during a scmbly.

5. In a cellular tiller machine arranged to assemble sets of strips having normally closely embracing slots with interlocking hooks in the slots and hook-stop: respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other set to form cells and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips, a transverse knife for severing the transverse strip after assembly, vertical shears positioned back of the transverse knife for severing the other set of strips, means for holding said latter set against lateral displacement back of the knife and between the knife and shears but leaving the portion in front of the knife free for lateral displacement during assembling, and mechanism for temporarily displacing portions of the transverse strip adjacent the hook to clear the same during as sembly.

6. In a cellular tiller machine arranged to assemble sets of strips having normally closely embracing slots with interlocking hooks intermediately positioned in the closely embracing portions of the slots and hookstops respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other set to form cells and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips, movable mechanism for separating said strips at the slots for temporarily Widening them thereat (lur ing assembling to permit more ready assembly of the interlocking elements, and means for operating said mechanism during each assembling operation.

7. In a cellular filler machine arranged to assemble sets of strips having normally closely embracing slots with interlocking hooks in the slots and hook-stops respectively to permit pushing one set of strips over the other set to form cells and in which the hooks extend beyond the plane of travel of component strips, movable fingers extending upwardly between the strips for acting upon portions between the slots to move such portions laterally clear of the hooks but to leave the hooks in their normal plane during assembling, and means for operating said fingers for each assembling operation.

In Witness whereof. we hereunto subscribe our names this 31st day of December, 1923.

HARVEY SEGUR. ASA B. SEGUR. 

